1. UNEMPLOYMENT GROWS Unemployment continues to get rapidly worse. The figures for mid-August showed u total of 904,000 people out of work -an increase of no less than 136.000 in only two months. The average level of unemployment is now 3.7%, but for men it is ulready 5% hat is cooce, these figures do not tuke into account the regional variations: male unemployment hus reached 8.2% in Scotland, 9.2% in the Northern region and 10.4% in Northern Ireland. Of the men who are wholly anemployed, no less than 66% hase been without work for two months or more.
In light of these figures, Vic Feather's statement atter Barber's mini-Budget that unemployment was unilely to rise above 900,000 can only be seen as a blatant attesapt to deceive the working class. There is every indication that unempioyment will continue to rise to well over the million mark. The number of forthcoming redundancies reported is still very large, even if slightly down on last month. And. whut is most important, while the number of unemployed continues to rise, the number of unfilled vacancies con tinues to fall, this despite an increase in production in the second quarler of this year. Not only does growth not necessurily produce more jobs, in the present crisis of British capital it cannor.
There are two major reasons for this, both resulting from the urgent need of British capitalisn to restore its profit margins after their disastrous decline in the lato 60s. As The Times roported after the mini-Budget. The employers must aim to increase output not by expanding their work force bar "by improving their productivity or by devoloping more capital-intensive processes" "Rationalisation" is the watchword now as it was in the "30s, and this explains why output can increase at the same time that there is a fall in job vacancies.
And of course the continued unemployment which results from this rationalisation and emphasis on productivity is a very welcome side-effect for the employers. The decline in their profit margins came about hecause of the militancy of the working class, who were able to win wage increases too lurge for the employers to be able to pass them on in full to the consumer through price increases. Now the employers sce massive unemployment as their chance to change the balance of forces in their favour, to testore the level of profits at the expense of wages They see unemployment very clearly us a weapon to smash the militancy of the working class. Their newspapers, the Financial Times and The Times expect a continuing high level of unemployment to "cause a further de escalation of wages."
2. THE TRADE UNIONS AND UNEMPLOYMENT Sections of the trade union movement are now beginning. to understand that they must organise to fight against. unemployment. The same, however, cannot be said of the TUC leadership, which (still secing the answer simply in terms of a Sle growth rate) has called for a series of demonstrations in October and November, culminating with a rally in London and a lobby of Parlament. Of course we welcome any action against unemployment, but demonstratichs can only be effective if they are coupled with strong and determined action inside the factories. This was the fatal mistake made in the unemployed movemont in the *30s despite massive demonstrations throughout the country, only minor reforms and soon-bruken promisos were extracted from the Government, because thic economic power of the working class was never brought into play. The re-election of the Nationsl Government in November 1935 can be fraced directly to the disillusionment and demoralisaton of the workers after the enormous bat largely ineffective demonstrations against unemployment in January and February of that year.
Such "protest" actions as the TUC is now planning offer no way forward for unemployed workers or those faced with redundancies. The disastrous consequences of such a policy (or lack of it) have recently been seen at BSA in Birmingham, where the motor cyck workers agroed under pressure to accept a wage cut instead of redundancies. Undess a fighting policy is rapidly adopted hy the trade union movement, there will be muny nore BSAs, and the workers standard of living will go down so that the employers can increase their profits.
Howevet, somne sections de lhe mogenent are now' beginning to see the need for a positive fight against unemployment. Glasgow AEUW and the Midlands Council of the T&-GWU have banned productivity deals which include redundancies. Bolton AEUW has banned overtime in its fight against unemployment. Other sections of workers are taking even stronger action. At UCS the yards have now been occupied for a month. In hetfield the Goverrutent's decision to hive oti part of the British Steel Corporation's River Don works to the privately ownied company of Firth Brown Ltd., which would make at least 4,500 workers redundant, has led to similar treats to occupy the factories. The same response has come from the GEC factory at Witham which is threatened with closure. Whatever the outcome of the struggle at UCS. it has been of great importance in introducing a new mechod of struggle into the fight against unemployment.
But these actions. altheugh they mark a welcome step for beth inside the factory and throughout che labour moventent. We helieve that such a set of demands must include the following:
pay. This means work-sharing on pell pay. 2. Banning of overtime and work-sharing under union uemployed-such a wage to include automatic increases 5. A shorter working week with no loss of pay. 3. THE ORGANISATION OF THE UNEMPLOYED At the same time, however, it is necessary to organise the unemployed themselves. Far from being an attempt to di to separate the unemployed from their brothers in the the very fact of their unemployment; the task is to unite the unemployed. We do not pose the organisation of the organisations of the unemployed to be represented on Trades Councils that the trade unions can be forced to accept their responsibility for the unemployed.
ing class is particularly prone (viz. Germany in the same period). And the great falt of the NI/WM in the "30s, its complete filure to establish any links with the organised the blacklegging at Fine Tubes, which could take place unemployed.
of organising the unemployed, and work in Claimants interests of the working class in their fight for maximum the threat of the dolo to depress wage levels). And at the -both because the silostion of the uemployed is more of any bureauerati: structure in most Clairants Unions.
claimants at the Social Security but fight to organise the unemnloyed as a politicol force, and provided that they labour movement, Clairants Unions offer a mujor step forward in the organisation of the unemployed working FOREMAN 1 DONT BELIEVE -SOCIALIST WOMANLatest issue has articles on: Woren's liberation, politics & revolution-the debate in the women's movement; Lancaster cleaners strike: The family in capitalist society: Part-time work; Whitehall Whitewash-the PIB report on contract cleaning; etc., etc. Send 8p for an individual copy (post paid) or 48p for a year's subscription (6 copies) to: Socialist Woman Subs, 182 Pentonville